Working Memphis wakes up with Drake. Radio is the media that has long connected and defined Memphis and our intimate bond with music. The undisputed king of the Memphis airwaves is Drake Hall, who follows in the footsteps of Dewey Phillips and Rufus Thomas as immortal Memphis radio personalities.

Best Radio Station

1. WEVL-FM 89.9

2. 98.1 The Max Maximum Rocks

3. WRVR-FM 104.5 The River

WEVL could exist in nowhere else but Memphis. Not only has this city produced some of the world’s greatest musicians, but it also has some of the world’s most intense music geeks. You can hear them strut their stuff every day on WEVL, independent, commercial free, and powered by the contributions of the listeners.

Best Newspaper Columnist

1. Geoff Calkins, Daily Memphian

2. Michael Donahue, Memphis Flyer

3. Bruce VanWyngarden, Memphis Flyer

Best Sports Radio Show

1. Geoff Calkins

2. Gary Parrish

3. Chris Vernon

Geoff Calkins has his finger on the pulse of Memphis’ sports. He’s the narrator for the Grizzlies’ ups and down, and the highest profile hire at the new Daily Memphian.

Best Local Athlete

1. Penny Hardaway

2. Marc Gasol

3. Mike Conley

Former Memphis Tiger and NBA star Anfernee Deon “Penny” Hardaway is the new head coach of Tiger basketball at the University of Memphis — and Memphians’ choice for Best Local Athlete. And judging by the explosion of Tiger-blue T-shirts sporting a blown-up image of a one-cent coin seen around town after Penny got the head coach position, Memphians are all pretty proud of their Penny.

Caitlin Horton and Rebecca Phillips host Memphis Type History, a podcast about the Memphis behind the blues and barbecue everyone knows. The general focus of the show is on distinctive or historic signs, but the enlightening conversations can include Sputnik Monroe, fault lines, Machine Gun Kelly (the gangster, not the rapper), zines, and the birth of liquor-by-the-glass sales in Memphis.